Post by Stellenbosch University

When the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the response required more than urgency. It required expertise. Stellenbosch University scientists have been central to that response. Prof Jean Nachega, Director of SU's Biomedical Research Institute, serves on the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group, advising on strategies to strengthen the continental response. SU researchers are also among the international experts behind a new Lancet paper outlining the urgent priorities for containing the outbreak; including expanding diagnostic capacity closer to affected communities and accelerating research into vaccines and therapeutics for a strain with no currently licensed countermeasures. This work builds on SU's longstanding commitment to addressing emerging infectious disease threats across Africa through research, training and public health partnerships. As a university, this is precisely the role we believe African research institutions should play: shaping the global response to global health threats, not simply reacting to them. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eeAtixvC